Naftogaz could accumulate 16 bcm of gas with current pumping pace
National joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy has accumulated 13.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas in the underground storage facilities and with the current pumping pace the company would accumulate 16 bcm by the 2017/18 heating season, Naftogaz Chief Commercial Director Yuriy Vitrenko has said.
"Now we are pumping even more than we planned. Now we could reach 16 bcm, maybe this is too much," he said on Channel 5 TV late on Monday.
He said that in the previous years, Naftogaz had smaller stocks at the beginning of the heating seasons and they were enough. In particular, the company passed rather cold winter of 2016-2017.
Vitrenko said that extra gas stocks create additional financial burden on the company.
The action plan to prepare the energy complex to the autumn and winter period 2017-2018 approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine envisages that Ukraine by November 1, 2017 will accumulate 17 bcm of gas in underground storage facilities.
Ukraine started the 2016/17 heating season in the middle of October with 14.7 bcm of gas stocks.
